Stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting in higher education

CITATION

Ferrero-Ferrero, I., Fernández-Izquierdo, M., Muñoz-Torres, M., & Bellés-Colomer, L. (2018). Stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(2), 313–336

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ABSTRACT
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of stakeholder engagement in the context of sustainability reporting (SR) for higher education institutions (HEIs), together with the materiality principle and stakeholder expectations.

Design/methodology/approach – This research uses an exploratory approach based on content
analysis, a case study and descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings – Three key findings come out of this research. First, the results indicate that HEIs use diverse criteria for grouping stakeholders and that stakeholder engagement is a heterogeneous process. Second, the expectations of internal stakeholders align with the material aspects of SR. Finally, among internal stakeholders, students and academics disagree on the prioritisation of some sustainability aspects, with non-academic staff adopting an intermediate position.

Practical implications – This analysis improves our knowledge of stakeholder engagement in HEIs. It
helps to identify the relevant impacts of stakeholder engagement, enhances the quality of reporting and encourages a real dialogue with stakeholders.

Originality/value – The study examines stakeholder engagement and how the materiality principle is
adopted by HEIs through SR. Furthermore, it compares these results with stakeholder expectations,
considering the discrepancies between stakeholders. The results open the way to future research to explore the potential conflicts and collaborations between and within stakeholders to advance towards more sustainable institutions in the higher education sector.


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